Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bengbu Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bengbu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $649 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,061 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,473 in Bengbu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 126% more expensive than Bengbu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Bengbu is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.84 ¥19.23

364.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$22.21 ¥150

142.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.98 ¥33.71

89.16%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$3.18 ¥21.53

11.64%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.95

$0.45 ¥3.03

260.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.26 ¥1.77

326.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$0.81 ¥5.49

285.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$2.03 ¥13.75

128.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$2.04 ¥13.80

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$1.02 ¥6.88

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$0.72 ¥4.88

165.28%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$1.47 ¥9.94

72.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$9.30 ¥63.0

7.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$2.85 ¥19.27

183.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.76 ¥59.3

32.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.35 ¥9.16

120.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$0.95 ¥6.41

90.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.37 ¥9.30

46.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$0.71 ¥4.81

185.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$0.57 ¥3.88

271.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$0.55 ¥3.70

312.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$0.71 ¥4.84

97.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.43 ¥2.95

162.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$2.85 ¥19.32

49.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.04 ¥40.90

157.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$0.67 ¥4.51

162.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$1.35 ¥9.17

166.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.27 ¥1.82

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$16.96 ¥115

13.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$1.52 ¥10.29

-9.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.36 ¥2.41

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$8.57 ¥58.1

-36.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.12 ¥7.59

16.07%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$17.3K ¥117.2K

8.01%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$14.3K ¥97.1K

61.40%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.86 MX$706

$34.21 ¥232

19.44%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.81 MX$463

$4.93 ¥33.36

443.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$8.15 ¥55.2

267.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$41.98 ¥284

23.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$13.95 ¥94.5

92.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.47 ¥37.04

15.17%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$436 MX$7,536

$410 ¥2,777

6.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$18.4K ¥124.3K

-43.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$43.07 ¥292

31.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$33.20 ¥225

33.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$67.7 ¥458

52.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$82.8 ¥561

27.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$278 ¥1,882

267.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$185 ¥1,253

240.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$587 ¥3,977

263.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$367 ¥2,485

238.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$3,084 ¥20.9K

26.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,783 ¥12.1K

15.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$652 ¥4,417

70.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.87

193.02%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $278 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 71% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $158 per month, with Bengbu cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Bengbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 71% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $278 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $410 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $649 in Bengbu versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bengbu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.